5 Reasons to read Fear the Drowning Deep by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Witch’s apprentice Bridey Corkill has hated the ocean ever since she watched her granddad dive in and drown with a smile on his face. So when a dead girl rolls in with the tide in the summer of 1913, sixteen-year-old Bridey suspects that whatever compelled her granddad to leap into the sea has made its return to the Isle of Man.Soon, villagers are vanishing in the night, but no one shares Bridey’s suspicions about the sea. No one but the island’s witch, who isn’t as frightening as she first appears, and the handsome dark-haired lad Bridey rescues from a grim and watery fate. The cause of the deep gashes in Fynn’s stomach and his lost memories are, like the recent disappearances, a mystery well-guarded by the sea. In exchange for saving his life, Fynn teaches Bridey to master her fear of the water — stealing her heart in the process.Now, Bridey must work with the Isle’s eccentric witch and the boy she isn’t sure she can trust — because if she can’t uncover the truth about the ancient evil in the water, everyone she loves will walk into the sea, never to return.

Fear the Drowning Deep by Sarah Glenn Marsh is a book that I picked up on a whim. I had heard some amazing things about it and decided I just had to give it a shot. Typically the suspenseful, slightly creepy books are ones that I steer away from. I am so glad that I gave this book a shot. There are so many amazing elements to this story that just push it to my list of some of my favorite releases of 2016. I know many of you have had this on your radar for awhile, but if you haven’t I have 5 reasons why you NEED to read this book.

Amazing setting. When I started this book I knew absolutely nothing about the Isle of Man, where the setting of this book takes place. The setting added so much to the overall feel of the book, and I absolutely loved how it almost became a character in itself. The actual culture of the Isle of Man was also included, which I thought was really unique.

Fantastic writing. The story just flowed from start to finish. The author clearly has a way with words. There were so many quotes I could pull from the pages of this book, but I think my favorite one is…

“But fear can be a good thing. You can’t have courage without it. And it makes you alert. You notice things others don’t…”

Unique Characters. There was such a wide range of characters that it was pretty easy to plant yourself in the story with something you could relate to. I love that each person was their own unique person and not a cookie cutter version of what we might view as perfect. Each was their own unique mess, as we all are. I felt like I could find these characters out in the actual world and that I could run into them on an average day. Fynn was probably my favorite, but I also adored all of Bridey’s sisters.

Perfect amount of creepy. I am one that does not love scary books. It’s not even that they necessarily scare me, but I hate putting myself into the position of maybe getting scared silly and having nightmares or whatever. This book had the creepy factor that I could handle. The unknown of what was happening to these people that kept disappearing. The creepiness of the ocean and the way it sort of called to you. I found it only on the verge of slight goosebumps from time to time, which is perfect for me.

Great reminders of tackling fears. This book had a lesson in my eyes, but the lesson wasn’t thrown in your face. It really reminded us that we are all totally and completely capable of tackling the things that scare us most. Granted, sea monsters aren’t really on my list of fears as a resident of the Upper Midwest, but there are other things that I fear. This book helped me remember that I am 100% capable of staring those fears down and overcoming them, sometimes it just takes a little time.

This was the perfect book to read in the Fall as a lot of us are looking towards books that get us in the mood for Halloween. I was hooked in until the very last page. I wish I could tell you more, but I know if I start diving into the story I would give so much away.